Defiant Danny Lennon last night fired back at the snipers who predicted St Mirren would give him the bullet.

Defiant Danny Lennon last night fired back at the snipers who predicted St Mirren would give him the bullet.

Some sections of the media were tipping Lennon for the sack after Saints made a disastrous start to the season.

However, the heat on the Buddies boss has cooled dramatically following last week’s battling 1-1 draw with Aberdeen and impressive 2-0 win against Hearts at Tynecastle.

Now Lennon, who has displayed great dignity and determination during his time in the sack-race spotlight, has been unable to resist the temptation to hit back at the critics who thought he should be removed from the job he loves.

He told Express Sports: “I’m not naive. I know it’s a results-driven business and everybody has the right to exercise their own opinion but there have been some hurtful things written in the media.

“Some of it has been close to the bone.”

Lennon was particularly unhappy with one report that stated he was to be shown the door in the wake of his team’s 2-1 defeat at home to Partick Thistle last month.

He said: “It’s never nice to be on the end of poor media. Some articles have been written as if they are factual but some of these reports could not have been further from the truth.

“That’s the type of thing that can put people under more scrutiny than they already are.

“I don’t mind people’s opinions but I’ve read certain things and it’s made me wonder where it has come from.

The win over Hearts on Saturday has seen St Mirren climb to 10th place in the league table and, instead of looking over their shoulders, the Paisley players can now target the likes of Ross County and Partick.

Lennon said: “Make no bones about it, it was a massive result for us, for many reasons.

“I thought we were absolutely terrific. To go there and perform the way we did speaks volumes.

“A lot of people have questioned my managerial ability recently but I certainly believe I have shown that I do have some ability.”